Camaraderie Over Competition

By Robin Todd | Photography by Jody Wilson

Welcome spring with two events that celebrate the joy of cycling—Turas Mór, a scenic gravel ride through the hills of Creemore, and Trail Tunes, a music-filled journey along Simcoe County’s trails.

Think back to that first epic ride you took with friends. Everything you discovered that day had a magic to it. Perhaps it was only 10 or 20 kilometres, but it felt so much longer; it was a journey, an adventure. You rode your ten-speed bicycles, with steel frames and shifters on the down tube, and you had just enough money to buy a milkshake in the next town over. Sure, you had all the wrong clothes on, with your high-top Converse and cut-off jean shorts, and you were too sore to sit on a bike seat for days afterwards, but you got a taste of freedom, and you were happy.

Since then, you’ve bought many bikes, all lighter and faster than your first ten-speed. Perhaps you’ve raced bikes, on road or off, uphill or down, immersing yourself in a world where ounces and seconds matter. But always, in the back of your mind, is that first special adventure, and what is nostalgia if not the desire to recapture those magical moments of your youth?

Alas, there are no time machines to transport you back to those days; however, there are two wonderful events in Simcoe County that are all about the joy of the ride and about celebrating camaraderie over competition, friends and family over finish lines.

The first event, on May 10, 2025, is Turas Mór (meaning “Great Journey” in Gaelic), which is hosted by Creemore Springs Brewery. Conceived by the brewery’s marketing team, the event’s name honours Creemore’s Gaelic roots (Creemore means “Big Heart”). The team’s objective was to offer cyclists a complete experience, including rest stops with delicious gourmet food provided by local businesses, as well as a generous lunch with live music and, of course, cold beer. Heather Harding, the Brand Home Operations Manager and member of the marketing team, explained that the event was inspired by L’Eroica, a noncompetitive cycling event that began in 1997 in Siena, Italy, which invited cyclists to explore the Tuscan countryside and its culture while riding vintage bicycles.

To hear Harding recount the challenges of the inaugural Turas Mór, in 2016, on a day that saw rain, hail, and relentless winds is to appreciate how special this event is. Of the 100 or so riders who tackled the muddy roads and ferocious headwinds, fewer than two dozen were able to complete the entire route. Some turned back, some found shortcuts, but many were rescued by community volunteers who drove the route in a variety of vehicles. Though the plan had been to host a barbecue in the brewery parking lot, that was not to be. Instead, 100 riders piled into the small brewery, huddling for warmth, using bar towels to dry off, and celebrating their safe return with a hearty lunch, including soup served by the renowned chef Michael Stadtländer.

The event has grown immensely since that rainy day and is now capped at 850 riders, who choose from four routes, each inspired by a Creemore Springs beer. The Leisure route (20 km), inspired by the Session IPA, is ideal for beginner riders as it is primarily on paved roads and includes fewer hills. The Challenger route (40 km) is inspired by the Crisp Pilsner and includes a long climb out of Creemore, after which the riders are rewarded with a rest stop. As with all of the longer routes, which are a mixture of paved and gravel roads, riders need to be prepared for a variety of conditions, including loose gravel, mud, ruts, and sand. The Classic route (60 km) is at the heart of Turas Mór and is inspired by the Premium Lager, itself a Creemore Springs classic. The route is primarily on gravel roads and has significant climbs throughout, making it a good route for intermediate to advanced riders. Finally, the Expert Ride, first introduced in 2024 and inspired by New Creemore Light, is designed for advanced cyclists with strong bike-handling skills who are looking to challenge themselves with additional climbing. At 85 km in length, it is described as an “arduous journey.”

Like L’Eroica, Turas Mór encourages riders to bring their vintage bikes, designed in 1987 or earlier. Each year, a good number of riders show up with their vintage bikes and their wool cycling kit, but no rider is more striking than Dave Murphy, who not only dons long shorts, suspenders, and a jaunty cap but does so while atop his high wheel (also known in the UK as a pennyfarthing), the classic bicycle dating back to the 1870s. An avid member of the Collingwood Cycling Club, Murphy has become a fixture at Turas Mór, leading the riders out for an opening lap of the town before they begin climbing the hills. Though riders are encouraged to take part on vintage bikes, they are welcome to ride any bike as long as it is in good working order. Because the Challenger, Classic, and Expert routes are predominantly made up of gravel roads and trails, a wider-profile tire of at least 28mm, if not larger, is highly recommended.

One rider who knows the Turas Mór routes well is Collingwood resident Jody Wilson, who has experienced the event from behind the camera lens and from the saddle and who understands why this day is so attractive to cyclists: “During the years I have taken photos at Turas Mór, I have always been amazed by the sense of community that the event creates, especially one where the finish line isn’t a gold medal but a burger and a beer! One of the reasons I’ve fallen in love with Turas Mór is because of the way it brings the cycling community back together after a long winter. You don’t realize how much you’ve missed your friends and the cycling culture until you arrive downtown Creemore and struggle to find a parking spot because 800 other cyclists had the same idea as you. Turas Mór is more than a cycling event; it’s an annual spring tradition. Nothing solidifies this sense of rebirth like riding the hills around the Creemore area with the smell of spring in the air and the flashes of green in the trees that line the route. The event attracts all kinds of cyclists, on all kinds of bikes, and the atmosphere is electric with positive energy. Everyone is simply happy to be outside, embracing life, and soaking in the joy of the ride.”

Another event that offers an opportunity to embrace life and to experience the joy of riding is Trail Tunes, a collaborative event between Clearview Township and the towns of Wasaga Beach and Collingwood. It takes place on the first Saturday in June, in celebration of International Trails Day and National Health & Fitness Day, and this year’s event is on June 7. Trail Tunes was the brainchild of Amanda Murray, the Manager for Parks and Recreation in Clearview Township, whose vision in 2022 was to create an event that would encourage people to return to the area in a safe capacity. What safer way to gather than at outdoor concerts, and what better way to travel between them than by bicycle?

The event features three venues, with each venue offering four concerts. At Centennial Park in Clearview, the audience will be treated to a celebration of female singers from Simcoe County. At the Wasaga Beach Shell in Wasaga Beach, each band will cover a classic album in its entirety. Finally, at the Shipyards Amphitheatre in Collingwood, there will be an eclectic offering, including several performances with strong roots in the folk and folk-rock tradition. In addition to the concerts, there will be a myriad of activities; in Clearview, for example, there will be face painting for children, and the Clearview Youth Center will be providing fruit smoothies made in the pedal-powered “fender blender.”

Suffice to say, both Turas Mór and Trail Tunes offer lots of opportunities to enjoy playing, so whether you choose to pedal your heart out on the hills surrounding Creemore, cruise the trails along the Georgian Bay shoreline, dance, sing, or raise a pint in salute to a beautiful day, may you rediscover that childhood self and enjoy those magical moments once more. E